Tomato & Red Pepper StewHearty food at its best!

Introduction:

Nothing beats the taste of tomato and paprika in this stew. A wonderfully hearty, simple yet delicious meal. Best served on cold winter days with crusty bread or over cooked pasta shells.

Ingredients

2 large red peppers, ribbed and coarsely chopped

1.2 kg ripe tomatoes, quartered

6 – 8 large cloves of garlic, kept whole

salt, milled black pepper and sugar

olive oil

1,3 kg boneless beef stewing meat, cubed

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, coarsely grated

2 stalks celery, finely sliced

15 ml smoked or plain paprika

45 ml tomato paste

Method

Place the red pepper, tomatoes and garlic in a large baking dish and season to taste (rather liberally then lightly) with salt, pepper and sugar. Drizzle with oil and roast (undisturbed) for 40 - 60 minutes at 190 șC or until cooked through and sticky.

Meanwhile heat a little olive oil in a pan and brown the meat in batches until browned and delicious. When done, do not wipe the pan but add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté until translucent. Continue to cook the vegetables until they become sticky and caramelized now add the paprika and cook a further minute or so. Add the tomato paste and stock and return the meat to the pan.

Remove the vegetables from the oven and transfer to a processor. Blend until smooth then add to the meat. Taste and season to your liking. Bring to the boil and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce heat and simmer on the lowest heat for 90 minutes or until the meat is cut-with-a-fork tender. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Now, if you feel the dish is too saucy, remove the meat from the sauce with a slotted spoon and place in a heated serving dish. Increase the heat and cook the sauce hard until it has reduced and thickened to your liking. Pour the sauce over the meat and serve with crusty breads and sour cream or yoghurt.